Antibiotics target bacterial cell walls and bacterial processes. Viruses do not have cell walls and use the host cell's own machinery to reproduce. There is nothing for the antibiotic to target in a virus.

What are antibiotics and what do they target?

Antibiotics are chemicals that kill bacteria or stop them from growing. They target structures that bacteria have but human cells do not, such as cell walls. Examples: penicillin, amoxicillin, streptomycin.

Exam questions for Antibiotics and Drug Resistance

What do antibiotics kill or stop growing?

A. Viruses
B. Bacteria
C. Fungi
D. All pathogens

1 markfoundation

Explain how antibiotic resistance develops in bacteria through natural selection. (3 marks)

3 marksstandard

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